Listened

A Maryland circuit court judge listened to lawyers for Dominion Resources Inc. and two environmental groups on Monday, the opening salvo in lawsuit over a proposed natural gas liquefaction facility, but ultimately decided to take the case under advisement.

In a room filled with citizens and elected representatives all opposing the project, the California Coastal Commission Thursday listened all day to its staff and the public before unanimously rejecting plans for an offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal by Australian mining giant BHP Billiton. Company representatives were in attendance but declined several invitations from the coastal commission to speak.

Four years ago Cheniere Energy announced plans for four liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals along the Gulf Coast: one at Sabine Pass, one at Corpus Christi, another in Freeport, TX, and the last at Brownsville. Industry experts dismissed the plans of the tiny, virtually unknown company as premature, maybe even a little bit nuts. A lot has changed since then.

Four years ago Cheniere Energy announced plans for four liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals along the Gulf Coast: one at Sabine Pass, one at Corpus Christi, another in Freeport, TX, and the last at Brownsville. Industry experts dismissed the plans of the tiny, virtually unknown company as premature, maybe even a little nuts. A lot has changed since then.

After a 25-minute delay in which bagpipes played and traders listened to the reading of the 2,801 names of people that perished a few blocks away one year ago, the natural gas futures market opened solemnly Wednesday as market-watchers and traders went through the motions, but clearly had their minds on things other than the future price of hydrocarbons.